2nd Sunday of Advent 2024 Year C

Luke 3:1-6. He went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins

John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord by proclaiming the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Repentance is essential to salvation. Without repentance one remains in their sin and their sin remains in them. Without repentance one cannot want to be saved from sin. Though they may want to be saved from hell fire they also want to continue to live in their sin which makes salvation impossible. Proverbs 8:36 “But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.” To love sin is to love death.

What is repentance? Repentance is to recognise that we have turned away from God, transgressed His laws and that we have walked off the path that leads to God. Having recognised this, regretting having sinned against God, the sinner humbly turns back to God seeking His mercy like the prodigal son “The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’”. We read in the Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”

How can we celebrate the birthday of the One Who freed us from our sin while still wallowing in sin? Imagine you were invited to go the a kings birthday party, and the king so kindly has provided you a bath, soaps and shampoos, he has bought you beautiful clothes all paid for from his own treasury but instead of washing and wearing the clothes the king has given you go stinking and filthy in your own dirty, torn, ugly ragged clothes which you haven’t change in years. What would the king and other guests think? Would this not be the height of insult and ingratitude? God has given us ample opportunity to be reconciled to Him and to choose not be reconciled is the rejection of Him. To choose to celebrate His birthday without having been reconciled is to go to His birthday still stinking of unforgiven sin.

You may remember a story from this bible in the second book of Kings (2 Kings 5). The story of Naaman who was the commander of the Syrian army who was healed of his leprosy by Elisha the prophet. Naaman’s servant advised him to go and see the prophet Elisha and Elisha told him to go and bathe in the Jordan seven times. Naaman thought that was ridiculous. Full of anger He stormed off and mocked the command by saying “Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?”. His servants asked him why he was being stubborn and told him to obey the prophet saying, “Give it a try, what can you lose?” And so Naaman bathed seven times and was healed.

We have been told to confess our sin to have the leprosy of our souls, which is sin, to be cleansed. Some of us might think: “But why do I have to confess to a priest, can’t I just confess straight to God?” Only God can forgive sins but God has chosen to forgive sins through His ministers the apostles and their successors. We read in Scripture, “confess your sins to one another”. Christ gave the office of His apostles to forgiven sins: “whose sins you forgive are forgiven and whoever sin you retain are retained”. As Christ came to save souls from eternal perdition so now He continues this saving act through His apostles and their successors, “As the Father has sent me so I send you.” Theologians have called this act of God through His ministers: “in persona Christi”, in the person of Christ. This we see when the priest offers the sacrifice of the Mass, “this is my Body” so in the confessional, “I absolve you from your sins.” Christ speaks through His ministers.

Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. St Faustina

If we refuse to go to confession we are very much like Naaman from the book of Kings, “Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?”, we instead will be saying, “Are not my prayers equal or any better than some silly priest’s, won’t God just listen to me and forgive me?” or “Doesn’t God already know my sin, why do I even need to confess them? Can’t He just forgive them by Himself?” or “Are there not better people than these priests to confess to?” or “will this little penance the priest gave me really be enough for my many sins?”

Luke 3:5 “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth,”

This verse is telling how John was sent to make the difficult path to God easier, no longer needing to climb in and out of valleys, no longer needing to climb up and over mountains and hills, no longer needing to walk the winding and rough roads to God but through repentance, confessing one's sins and baptism, as we read in Mt 3:6 “Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” How easy is it to get to confession and Mass today? Turning to God is so very simple.

Is 1:18; “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.